11/9/2009
The company hopes to differentiate its new ProSafe Plus "unmanaged switches" with a few key network monitoring and configuration features, including support for Virtual LANs (VLANs), Quality of Service (QoS), and cable testing.
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10/5/2009
Last week's announcement that Cisco was buying videoconferencing heavyweight Tandberg sent shockwaves through the industry. But as the dust clears, observers are starting to figure out what it might mean for the small and midsize companies that actually use the technology -- or might want to if videoconferencing better met their needs. And already smaller competitors are showing that they still have something different and valuable to offer SMBs.
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9/15/2009
As Cisco continues to evolve its efforts to reach small businesses, it's rolling out new security and collaboration technologies, including security appliances, routers, and VoIP phones.
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8/24/2009
While many small and midsize businesses already make use of low-end point-to-point video communications, videoconferencing maker Polycom says new advancements are about to extend full multi-point videoconferencing and telepresence to SMBs.
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7/12/2009
These days, application stores are all the rage for smartphone vendors ranging from Apple to Blackberry. Now Voice over IP vendor Broadsoft is trying to extend the concept to VoIP applications for your company's main communications systems.
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7/2/2009
If you were wondering about the future of Microsoft's Response Point small business VoIP system, you can keep wondering. The system's future has been in doubt for months, and the company declined to clear up the confusion at a meeting with Voice over IP resellers this week.
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6/22/2009
The annnouncement of Nokia Siemens acquiring Nortel's CDMA, LTE assets for $650 million makes it clear that the company will be sold off in parts. But it sheds little light on the fate of the enterprise network equipment business group, which is what most small and midsize companies care about most.
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6/22/2009
When the economy seemed strong, plenty of companies were willing to pony up for the full multimedia version of Verizon's Web Center contact center service. But now, not so much. So Verizon has come up with Web Center Voice, which leaves out the multimedia, and half the cost.
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6/19/2009
J.D. Power and Associates' new 2009 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Study shows that rankings of satisfaction with telecommunications providers varies according to company size, with smaller and larger companies preferring different providers.
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6/18/2009
New HD video conferencing options from Tandberg, plus new members in a videoconferencing interoperability alliance show continuing momentum to get smaller companies to adopt the technology.
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6/3/2009
A new survey by Avaya shows that three quarters of SMBs think communications is important, but won't consider buying unless they can see a clear return on investment. The rest aren't ready to spend, period. Equally telling, only a quarter of small businesses are confident enough to invest in technology today.
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5/1/2009
With the double whammy of a global recession turning business travel into an expensive indulgence even as swine flu fears make it seem downright dangerous, small and midsize companies have never been more interested in finding ways to do business without leaving their desks.
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3/8/2009
Late last year, Cisco created a $100 million Small Business Technology Group (SBTG) to go after companies with fewer than 100 employees. But what exactly is that group all about, and what exactly does it do?
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3/2/2009
The economic meltdown can mean new life for mature but inexpensive and efficient technologies like fast ethernet, and Netgear is responding with a new line of physically stackable managed switches and by adding "green" enhancements to its unmanaged switch line.
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2/2/2009
For most companies, videoconferencing sounds like a great way to cut travel costs while staying in touch with remote customers, suppliers, and partners. But somehow, the crappy quality of the cheap systems and the intimidating prices and complexity of high-end solutions keep them from actually doing it.
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1/28/2009
When you think of 10GB Ethernet, you probably think of an esoteric technology primarily used in large enterprises and high-performance computing applications. You're mostly right, but not for long.
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1/26/2009
The new products -- an email security appliance, desktop network-attached storage, and updates to Cisco's Smart Business Commmunications System -- are the first fruit of Cisco's Small Business Technology Group, formed last November.
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10/15/2008
LifeSize Communications has expanded its line of high-definition video conferencing products, and while the new capabilities cost more, their improved codecs may allow business owners to save money by avoiding expensive dedicated networks.
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8/6/2008
Videoconferencing has benefits for companies of all sizes, but smaller companies face some special challenges. For one thing, the cost of travel can hit especially hard, but they may have trouble coming up with capital to install their own videoconferencing systems. But while working on a column on the social factors affecting videoconferencing, I talked to one midsized company that's making it work.
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7/17/2008
OK, so that may be the worst pun I've ever used in a blog headline, but according to a Yankee Group post in No Jitter, presence -- not VoIP -- is the key to Unified Communications. And frankly, that seems like one of the few reasonable things I've seen written about UC.
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4/25/2008
Over coffee and bizarre breakfast sandwiches this morning, John McHugh, HP ProCurve VP and Worlwide GM told a few of us media types that virtualization is the big "disruptor" and "change agent" about to shake up the networking world.
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3/27/2008
I just saw a UK "green" study that warns that desk phones are headed for the scrap heap as we begin to rely exclusively on our mobile handsets. Are we ready for that brave new world?
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12/13/2007
The virtualization tide just keeps on rolling. Today, Microsoft unexpectedly unveiled a beta release of Hyper-V Hypervisor, which will become part of Windows Server 2008 next year.
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11/19/2007
As the holidays approach, customer and tech support often become issues when we try to deal with all the new stuff arriving in our houses and businesses. Most large companies send you off to voice mail jail, doing their best to keep you from talking to an actual human being. Fortunately, you don't have to play along.
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11/12/2007
When Cisco announced new solutions in its Smart Business Communications Systems last week, I got a chance to query a Cisco exec about what prompts smaller companies to take the plunge into unified communications.
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10/19/2007
Turns out that there's a lot of telecommuting going on in smaller companies -- and those folks are getting supported with the latest mobility technology, networking equipment, and software.
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10/3/2007
How would you like to get your network monitoring and management software for nothing? Sounds good, right? But what if that free network help desk came with advertising? Spiceworks is hoping that it's a trade-off that will appeal to many smaller companies.
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8/20/2007
Dell is apparently getting serious about promoting advanced storage for small and midsize companies. According to an email that just landed in my inbox, CEO Michael Dell himself is coming to San Francisco on September 10 to explain how Dell plans to change the economics of storage for smaller companies.
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Our latest survey shows growing demand, fixed budgets, and good reason why resellers and vendors must fight to remain relevant. One thing's for sure: The data center is poised for a wild ride, and no one wants to be left behind.